Leominster officials: City email system problematic

LEOMINSTER -- It's gotten to the point that some city councilors and Mayor Dean Mazzarella can't even agree on using email.

Mazzarella wants all city employees and councilors to use the city email system, but there are complaints the system is cumbersome and unreliable.

Some city councilors are asking that access to their city provided email accounts be more user-friendly and secure, after they received multiple complaints from residents that their messages aren't being answered or acknowledged.

Councilor Rick Marchand said he's resorted to setting up a separate email account on his own so residents can contact him without fear the message may not get there or sensitive material may be compromised.

"A lot of taxpayers believe in order to access a city official they have to go through the city email, and you don't," Marchand said. "You may have an isolated incident that happens in a neighborhood, and they send an email, they want to know for sure it's getting through."

Because city councilors are elected officials and have full-time jobs outside City Hall, access to the city email system can be cumbersome.

"It's more of a use thing. It's just frustrating. I don't trust our public account. I keep all my emails, and anyone can see them at any time," Marchand said.

Marchand said that while he is an open book, some people living in his ward email him with sensitive information that he believes would be compromised through his city account.

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"I don't want other people reading my email in City Hall. I don't trust the system. It's not a system that I can control. If someone sends an email, it's between you and them. I just don't like using it because I don't trust City Hall," he said.

Through his private account, he said, he can set his own security preferences. He also keeps all the emails sent to him.

Mazzarella disagrees with Marchand.

All emails discussing city business are public documents, so there is a policy that all city communications be done on city email, Mazzarella said.

There is a back-up system for emails so there is a record even if they are erased, he said.

"Our policy in the city is that there be an electronic record kept of every email to everybody," Mazzarella said. "When we conduct city business and somebody wants a copy of it, whether a lawsuit or anything, they have a right to ask for it under Freedom of Information (Act)."

Mazzarella said in his opinion, city councilors have no choice but to use their city email accounts.

Problems with the email system have been fixed, he said.

"Earlier this year we had to transfer some of our servers and there was some interruption, but nothing that was major," he said. "Somebody has the right to ask for e-mails sent from personal accounts. There has to be a back-up. Somebody can walk in off the street and request them."

Mazzarella said that in the case of certain private information, it could be redacted if need be from an email, but he believes that councilors need to follow the rules set out by the state on public documents.

"You can't just make up your own rules. It's the law. There has to be a back-up. That is our city policy, no questions about it. If we are about being transparent, this needs to happen," Mazzarella said.

Anything that is considered a public document on a sheet of paper is also a public document in electronic form, said Secretary of State William Galvin's spokesman Brian McNiff.

"The public records law makes no distinction between electronic and paper documents," he said.

Marchand said that every time he responds to a message from a constituent regarding a concern or complaint, he'll also copy the appropriate city employee on the same message so they are aware as well and can check into it.

City Councilor David Rowlands also has concerns about the councilor's email accounts, especially because there is no full time IT director to help when problems may arise.

"We're unique in the sense that we're not on the city's network. We have to access it remotely. It's extremely slow, and it's not reliable in terms of performance," he said.

Whenever there is a problem, the city must have an independent consultant come in to work on the problem, he said.

"I try to use the city one, and I do try and respond to it when I can get on there. It's so difficult though. It's simply not reliable for me," he said. "It's simply unacceptable in terms of reliability and performance. I get complaints from people who say they email me and I never get them."

Council President John M. Dombrowski said he does not use email often and if he does, it's through City Clerk Lynn Bouchard.

His city email does not work, Dombrowski said Friday.

The city solicitor sent him an email Thursday that did not arrive.

"It doesn't work, so I just don't use it," Dombrowski said.

Ward 4 Councilor Robert Salvatelli said he uses an iPhone for his emails, and it can only handle two accounts so he uses his work account and personal account.

If there are legal problems regarding city business it does not matter whether he uses a personal account of the city account, Salvatelli said.

"They can subpoena anything they want if they have a complaint," he said.

Mazzarella argued that if city officials use private accounts to discuss city business nobody may know they exist.

At-large Councilor Claire Freda said she uses her city account but there are emails moving between other councilors to Mazzarella's office that she is not cc'd on.

She only becomes aware of them when Mazzarella responds and includes her, Freda said.

"Anything pertaining to city bus that's discussed by email is supposed to be on a public site and accessed at any time," she said.

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